revel

1 of 2

verb

rev·​el ˈre-vəl 

reveled or revelled; reveling or revelling ˈre-və-liŋ 

ˈrev-liŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to take part in a revel : carouse

2

: to take intense pleasure or satisfaction

reveled in the quiet after everyone had gone

revel

2 of 2

noun

: a usually wild party or celebration

Synonyms

Verb

• binge
• birl [chiefly Scottish]
• carouse
• roister
• wassail

Noun

• binge
• fling
• frisk
• frolic
• gambol
• idyll
• idyl
• lark
• ploy
• rollick
• romp
• spree

Examples of revel in a Sentence

Verb

reveling all night is not conducive to a productive next day at work

Noun

in Finland, Midsummer Day ushers in a nationwide revel as the Finns celebrate the endless hours of sunlight with bonfires and parties

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Biden appears to revel when Republicans boo or jeer him. —Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024

Cramer noted that Price appeared to revel after Ford had his fingerprints and picture taken during the county’s standard booking process. —East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024

Noun

Salem's focus on confronting a difficult history, teamed with clever marketing and the explosion of the holiday into a mainstream cultural force, has made Salem the country's go-to spot for Halloween revels. —Mike Deehan, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024

For instance, Josephus’ account states that around 1,000 revels took their lives toward the siege’s end, but some academics have argued that such an event may never have occurred. —Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French reveler, literally, to rebel, from Latin rebellare

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing revel

• revel in

Kids Definition

revel

1 of 2 verb

rev·​el ˈrev-əl 

reveled or revelled; reveling or revelling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to take part in a revel : be noisy in a festive manner

2

: to take great delight in something

reveler noun

or reveller

-(ə-)lər

revel

2 of 2 noun

: a noisy or merry celebration